Snapping Turtle

Snapping Turtle Brawny and mean The reptile is seen Oozing out of the mire Like a prehistoric dinosaur. The snapper stares While smelling the air, Keenly attentive For lurking predators. A thick, muscled neck Poised to stretch With beak agape, that says, ‘Keep your distance!’ Because it cannot retract Its head far enough back To protect it from its enemies And so it snaps at everything. The turtle claws at the dirt in front Pulling itself to where it’s going, Dragging its spiked tail along The ground in slow motion.